Taking H4 Visa Interview Appointment and Return of Passport

[satishbane]

Hello friends,

I wish to take my wife's H4 Visa appointment around 15th January. She has already filled the DS160 form, paid the fee, and the barcode on the receipt is activated. But when we try to take an appointment, we see that all the dates for the month of January are grayed out. In fact, we checked January dates for all consulates in India. All are grayed out. Would you please tell me how many days prior the consulates make the dates available?

Once the Visa interview is cleared, how many days does it take to get the Passport back? Do we have an option to take it in person on the same day of the interview or the next day?

Your inputs would be really helpful. Thank you.

Regards,

Satish Bane.